The Salamanca Corpus: Yeoman Fleetwood (1900 ... - Gredos

The Salamanca Corpus: Yeoman Fleetwood (1900)
Simon, and to you, madam; and last, but not least, to the black-eyed beauty who made
us acquainted."
He emptied his glass again, and held it out to be once more replenished.
"Nay, now that I think on it, she deserves a health all to herself. Here's to Rachel, pretty
Rachel, and all her whims, be they what they may! 'Twas her whim, Cousin, you know,
that brought us two together — why, no one can tell, but she would have it so, and I'm
pleased to do her bidding. I would do more than that for her — and you're a right good
fellow at bottom, I dare swear, though not quite the kind of kinsman one expected to
hob-nob with. But since Rachel will have it, we'll not complain."
Simon's colour had risen so high that Bertha remarked it, and, deeming that it rose from
indignation at her brother's tone, plucked Edward warningly by the sleeve. But he shook
her off with a noisy laugh.
“We are all friends here," he said, "and for the matter of that I care not who knows that I
am Miss Rachel
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Chamock's slave. Slave to-day, ha! ha! Perhaps master before so very long. By your
leave, Fleetwood, I will fill up again.
He stretched out his hand for the decanter, but Simon, coming to himself with a start,
quietly moved it out of his reach.
"In justice to my aunt," he said with rather a constrained smile, “I must save her cordial
from the reproaches which it would earn if you partook too freely of it. It is necessarily
made of new and fiery spirit, and is, besides, as you must notice, luscious and sweet. It
is only meant to be drunk in small quantities: we do not, indeed possess glasses of the
proper size; these are very large, you see. I would not on any account have it said that
you were the worse for a visit to my house."
"Pooh! I’ll risk it," exclaimed Edward, leaning forward with an angry flush.
“Nay, but I will not," returned his host with calm determination, and, rising, he locked
up the decanter in the old-fashioned chiffonier; then, returning to the table, he added
laughing, with an attempt to gloss over the awkwardness of the incident, “you see I
know the quality of the brew and the ill effects that might ensue when you reach the